Friday, August 22, 2008

Confirmed: Airforce liaison assigned to battalion battlegroup.

Mechanized division intensifies joint command in tactical exercise

english.chinamil.com.cn 2008-08-22

A mechanized division of the Beijing Military Area Command added a seat for the air force unit in its command post in a tactical exercise. This is a new change brought about in this division in the trial training of the new Outline of Military Training and Evaluation.

In the field command center of this division, the reporters saw that seats for the air force unit commanders in the command room and firepower coordinating room had been prepared. When the exercise came to live-fire exercise stage, commanders of the air force units would be there to organize combat and direct the operation together with army division and regiment commanders.

To add a seat for air force unit commander in tactical exercise of the army division and put him in charge of directing and controlling air combat group can help achieve precision coordination between the combat group in the air and combat group on the ground, and make the commanding relationship between the army and the air force units smoother. Deputy Division Commander Huang Yuejin told the reporters that in line with the demand of battles under informationization condition, the new outline has focused on the joint operation and joint training. In order to ensure optimum operational effect of the army-air joint command and joint operation, the division also prepared a seat for an air force guidance personnel in the army regiment assigned to launch main attack.

With the availability of seats at the joint command post, the commander of the air force unit is able to directly command combat force in the air in light of the changing combat situations on the battleground. At the critical operational phase or during the execution of special combat missions, commanders of the army units can also entrust the air force unit commanders to command army's ground attack groups in joint operation.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Venezuelan Air Force to use Chinese-made radar in military exercises with Brazil

Every two years, the air forces of Brazil and Venezuela conduct the military operation "Venbra V," in the border areas of Santa Elena de Uairén and Boa Vista.

In the joint military exercise, which ends on Friday, troops from both countries use air surveillance and monitoring equipments deployed in southern Venezuela and northern Brazil in order to perform the tasks of detection, identification, interception and transfer of simulated illegal flights. In addition, military exercises allow the training of both forces in air operations and cooperative security in an area of common interest for both countries.

On this occasion, the Air Defense Command of the Venezuelan Armed Forces will use for the first time the JYL-1 radar, bought from China, with a detection range of 240 miles.

Venezuela will deploy in Venbra V operation, several OV-10 Bronco and AT 27 aircrafts as interceptors, and Cessna 208 Caravan and T206H aircrafts as simulators or targets.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

As some of you already noted, I made number of blog entries regarding PLA’s new battalion battle group reform. To follow up, here is a possible Orbat as suggested by folks in China, tell me what you think?

Sunday, August 17, 2008

I just don’t see the reason for PLA to have its own boat patrol unit as PRC already has four paramilitaries in addition to the Navy to patrol its coastal line. There are a lot of duplications here as its duties can easily be replaced by PAP’s anti-smugglers units.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Imagine if they have a few of those An-124 heavy transports on hand to airlift heavy specialized rescue equipments during the first 72 gold hours of the recent earthquake, how many more lives could have been saved?

A recent image of the prototype Z-9D appears to show it armed with a Hongdu TL-10 missile *

With the Z-9D prototype carrying full PLA markings it appears that the TL-10 is intended for Chinese service

A new armed naval variant of China's Z-9 helicopter has been rolled out, fitted with a new anti-ship missile.

Developed from Harbin's Z-9C shipboard helicopter, already in service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, the latest aircraft is designated Z-9D. An image taken recently at the Harbin Aircraft Industry Group facility in the northeastern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, shows what appears to be the prototype Z-9D armed with a Hongdu radar-guided TL-10B (KJ-10B) missile. This is the first time that an anti-ship missile has been seen on a Chinese naval helicopter. The image also confirms that the air-launched TL-10 programme is moving forward to deployment.

The TL-10 missile family first appeared in public as a ship-launched weapon (JJ-10) in 2004. In 2006, its manufacturer, the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, showed the air-launched version (KJ-10). The TL-10 series is a modern, lightweight anti-ship missile system with a 30 kg armour-piercing warhead. It is a rocket-powered, relatively high speed (M0.85) weapon with a maximum range of about 18 km when air launched.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the TL-10 programme is that it has been developed in co-operation with Iran. The Iranian Aerospace Industries Organisation claims to have produced a weapon that is identical to the TL-10, which it calls Kosar. For its part, Hongdu notes that the TL-10 is an export product that has already been delivered to an overseas customer. Initial deliveries - to Iran - covered shipboard missiles only. The emergence of the Z-9D/TL-10 combination indicates that a new phase in the programme has begun.

As well as the radar-guided TL-10B, a version with an electro-optical seeker (TL-10A) is also available. In the past, Hongdu has exhibited mock-ups of the TL-10A fitted to its L-15 trainer and light attack aircraft. The air-launched KJ-10 was conceived from the outset as a helicopter weapon and the Z-9 is an ideal platform. Weighing 105 kg per round, up to four KJ-10Bs could be carried by a Z-9D, although the standard load is likely to be two missiles.

The basic maritime Z-9C helicopter has a sea search radar in its nose. It is not known if this equipment has been upgraded or changed completely to better support the KJ-10's targeting requirements on the Z-9D.

With the Z-9D prototype carrying full PLA markings it appears that the TL-10 is intended for Chinese service, but both helicopter and missile should equally be available for export.

In Iran, HESA (the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company) has drawn up concepts for an armed, up-engined Shahed 478 helicopter that could carry a missile in the TL-10/Kosar class. However, as this remains a speculative design for the moment it is possible that Iran might become a Z-9D customer also. Iran has already shown some acumen in adopting Chinese missile systems for its own helicopters, equipping Mil Mi-17s with the C-802KD anti-ship missile.

The newly rolled out Z-9D shipboard helicopter seen at the Harbin plant with a TL-10B (KJ-10B) anti-ship missile (Via Chinese internet)130818

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